Indian Creek Corridor - Restoration and Realignment Project

Aug 9, 2010. View showing west end of FID's "Ragan's Ravine" Indian Creek stream restoration project four months after completion. The diversity of woody plants planted, and now observed growing on-site, include coyote willow, Sitka willow, black cottonwood, redosier dogwood, Douglas fir, western redcedar and ponderosa pine. While the conifers were introduced by conventional tree planting, all of the hardwoods were "live staked" into the soil.

Aug 9, 2010. Another view of FID's Ragan's Ravine project, showing current clear-water conditions and newly introduced "fish gravels" in the reconstructed meandering channel. Prior to the district's larger ARRA-funded Indian Creek Restoration Project, the stream was used to convey Hood River mainstem water to irrigators. Now that irrigation water is contained in a piped conveyance system, Indian Creek runs more naturally, and is more conducive to supporting trout, steelhead and other aquatic life.

Aug 9, 2010. As during all their projects, FID's Indian Creek Restoration Project had the involvement of many private landowners. The district therefore worked hard to keep the impacts and aggravation of pipeline construction activities to a minimum. One innovative technique involved salvaging large trees from the construction zone, and replanting them in places desired by landowners. This photo shows a large willow that was transplanted in such a manner, and is now showing fast recovery.